Mawrie’s growing clout in West Shillong worrying NPP: BJP

SHILLONG, Feb 13: The BJP has retorted that the NPP is getting frustrated with the growing popularity of state BJP president Ernest Mawrie in West Shillong constituency.
The reaction comes in the wake of NPP spokesperson Bajop Pyngrope asking the BJP to remove Mawrie from the post of party president in Meghalaya.
Reacting sharply, state BJP vice president Dipayan Chakraborty said that the NPP is getting frustrated with the acceptance of Mawrie in West Shillong constituency.
He said the BJP is a national and not regional party, and it is only the party high command that has the right to decide anything on the matter relating to state BJP presidentship.
“The BJP had helped the NPP to be in power in 2018 but they enjoyed power and looted the state,” he said, while blaming the NPP for failing to implement central schemes in Meghalaya.
“They should be ashamed before making such attempts,” he said, while adding that Mawrie, who is also the party candidate from West Shillong, is in a good contest and the constituency is headed for a triangular fight.
Alleging that the sitting MLA of West Shillong constituency has failed to deliver in his five-year tenure, Chakraborty reiterated that the agenda of the BJP is to ensure security and development of the state.
It may be mentioned that Pyngrope, a day ago, had advised the BJP central leadership to immediately “change” their incumbent state president to avoid getting sidelined.
“The BJP leadership at the Centre should give a second thought and immediately change their state president otherwise BJP will neither be accepted nor the party will be able to gain a foothold in Meghalaya,” Pyngrope said.
Criticising the state BJP president for attacking its coalition partner (read NPP) constantly without any rhyme or reason, Pyngrope said, “He (Mawrie) cannot just speak whatever he feels against the coalition government.”
Asked if this will not strain the already bitter relationship between the two coalition partners of the MDA, the NPP spokesperson said, “Our relationship with the central leadership is good…so there will be no problem.”